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?I just don?t want it happening to other people?

BY KEITH LACEY A woman broke down in tears recalling why she changed her mind and decided to file criminal charges against a Sudbury doctor two years ago.
BY KEITH LACEY

A woman broke down in tears recalling why she changed her mind and decided to file criminal charges against a Sudbury doctor two years ago.

"I have two girls and I can?t imagine it happening to them,? said the woman, as she burst into tears. "I just don?t want it happening to other people."

Dr. Richard Nanka-Bruce was pleaded not guilty to six counts of sexual assault and three counts of indecent assault. Most of the allegations relate to incidents complainants say took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Every female complainant at the trial, which began last week and is scheduled to continue for two weeks, has made similar allegations.

They allege they were touched in an inappropriate manner while the doctors was conducting internal examinations at his office.

A publication ban has been ordered prohibiting the publication of any evidence which could identify any of the complainants.

The latest complainant testified Monday she first visited Nanka-Bruce in 1976, soon after he had replaced another doctor in Dowling.

She believes the incident in question took place just before she got married in the spring of 1978.

She was so upset by what happened, she never allowed Nanka-Bruce to conduct another internal examination, but did return to pick up
prescriptions for habitual problems with allergies and colds, she testified.

During the incident in question, the woman said she believes Nanka-Bruce ?started playing with me,? during an examination which lasted about 10 minutes.

She had undergone other internal examinations before this happened and afterwards and they all lasted ?only 10 or 15 seconds,? she said.
During the incident, Nanka-Bruce commented about her boyfriend and this upset her, she said.

?He asked if my boyfriend was really rough on me and I said no,? she testified.

She didn?t say anything during the examination because she was ?too embarrassed? and didn?t know what to say to a doctor she trusted, she testified.

When asked why she didn?t complain to Nanka-Bruce or anyone else after the incident, she said she was too embarrassed and ?I?m a very shy person, so I just went home.?

She didn?t know her sister, who is also a complainant and has already testified against Nanka-Bruce at this trial, had made similar allegations against the doctor until several years later, she said.

?I told her something like that had happened to me,? she said.

They did not discuss any of the details of their allegations since, she said.

She was surprised when an investigator from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario called her in the spring of 2003 to determine if she had any allegations against Nanka-Bruce, she said.

She made it clear she would talk to the college investigator about her allegations, but was not willing to go to court to testify at any criminal prosecution, she said.

She only changed her mind when she thought about her two daughters, she said.

Under cross-examination by defence counsel David Humphrey the woman denied she and her sister have discussed the case on many occasions over the past 25 years.

They realize both have similar allegations against Nanka-Bruce, but have not discussed details at all, she said.